Deal with your Emotional Trauma

One girl suffered from chest pains on the anniversary of a family death. Another man had excruciating neck pain after stressful work meetings. And another experienced knee pain when biking on a particular route near his home.

Why is this? Neuroplastic pain is not always the result of a healed or perceived injury. It is easily created by the body as a result of some kind of emotional trauma too.

Pain caused by emotions

In the same way that the brain creates neural pathways to create pain to protect the body from reinjuring itself, those neural pathways can also be activated by memories linked to a place, person or event. Even when no physical damage has occurred at any time.

When we hold stress, anger, fear, worry or anxiety in the body, a similar principle applies to neuroplastic pain which is a consequence of injury. Your brain knows you are struggling in some way and your reserves are low. So it tries to tell you that you need a rest at that particular time and so it produces pain to slow you down.

Unfortunately, this usually creates more stress. But once you can recognise why you are feeling pain at that time, reducing becomes much easier.

Pain at stressful times

Another time people often experience pain is Christmas, or a stressful time of year at work, or being with a particular person. Any memories, relationships and interactions can spark the body to produce pain even when there is no physical cause.

The pain acts as a warning that the brain believes you need to get away from this person or place because they/it will cause emotional upset for you.

Take a break

I once read that people with chronic pain often find relief when they go on holiday. And I remember thinking “absolutely no way is this true. Nope. I am in so much pain you cannot convince me that being in a different place will change that.”

But whether it is the freedom from the pressures and expectations of day-to-day life or the fact that your brain has not experienced pain in this location, for me without a doubt this has been true.

It’s not easy/cheap/convenient to just go away for a break but when you do, it really is interesting to see how your pain levels change.

What is causing your pain?

So if you are in pain but there has been no physical or perceived damage at any time in this part of your body, it could be emotional trauma causing your pain. Or any form of pain can certainly be exacerbated by the negative emotions you experience in your life.

But when you recognise this is why you have pain, it becomes easier not to fear it and therefore you feel less pain.